About OMSSA

Established in 1950, the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) is a non-profit organization whose members are the Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) across Ontario. Our members’ interests are represented to OMSSA by the senior human services staff of the CMSMs and DSSABs.

OMSSA works on the behalf of CMSMs and DSSABs, also known as Ontario's municipal service system managers. The consolidation of municipal service management begun in 1998 by the provincial government resulted in the creation of 47 CMSMs across Ontario. These are made up principally of upper tier municipalities in southern Ontario and District Social Service Administration Boards (DSSABs) in northern Ontario. The CMSMs and DSSABs act as service system managers funding, planning, managing and delivering human services including early learning and child care, employment and income supports, and housing and homelessness prevention programs.

OMSSA promotes policy and program delivery solutions to strengthen local service system management and human services integration, as well as to support our members’ daily planning, managing and delivering across the human services sectors. We do so through:

Policy and Advocacy: OMSSA develops and promotes solutions for improved social and housing policies and programs, acting as the collective voice of staff working for the CMSMs and DSSABs.

Education: OMSSA is a leader in human services education and professional development in Ontario, offering practical, relevant and "hands-on" solutions customized to meet the needs of its members as municipal service system managers.

Communications: OMSSA facilitates the dissemination of information, keeping abreast of the latest developments in the social and housing services and municipal service system management and hosting platforms to both share information and support discussion with and for our members.

OMSSA is committed to:

Supporting transparent and accountable processes that put people first

Championing the local and collective expertise of our members

Working to ensure our members’ voices are reflected in programs, policies and funding